Possibility (may/might/could) Exercises PDFSet 3: Speculation About the Present: May/Might/Could + Be + -ing
20 questions·14 min·Answers included·Explanations included
Preview: Questions
Fill in the blank with the correct option.
1.Tom isn't in his room. He ___ in the garden.
a) might be playingb) might playsc) might is playingd) might playing
2.I can hear music from next door. The neighbours ___.
a) could having a partyb) could be have a partyc) could be having a partyd) could are having a party
3.She's been in the meeting room for hours. She ___ a new project.
a) may planningb) may be planningc) may be pland) may is planning
4.Why is the dog barking? Someone ___ at the door.
a) might standingb) might be standingc) might be stoodd) might is standing
5.I can smell something burning. Dad ___ dinner.
a) could cookingb) could is cookingc) could be cookingd) could be cook
... and 15 more questions in the PDF
Preview: Answers
1.might be playing
2.could be having a party
3.may be planning
4.might be standing
5.could be cooking
... and 15 more answers in the PDF
Preview: Explanations
1."might be playing"(a)
Use 'might + be + -ing' to speculate about an action that is possibly happening now. The structure is: modal + be + verb-ing.
2."could be having a party"(c)
Use 'could + be + -ing' to guess what is happening now. Never put 'are' after 'could' — the structure is: could + be + verb-ing.
3."may be planning"(b)
'May be planning' speculates about an ongoing activity. After a modal verb, use 'be + -ing', not 'is + -ing'.
4."might be standing"(b)
'Might be standing' speculates about what is happening right now. The correct form is: might + be + -ing.
5."could be cooking"(c)
'Could be cooking' speculates about an action in progress. The structure is: could + be + verb-ing.
... and 15 more explanations in the PDF
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